Pasta La Vista

            May is still thrilled over her win, and Ash is thrilled about his upcoming battle.  But May wants to stop for noodles in Saffron City.  Brock wants to go as well, but when a Fighting Pokemon Battle dojo in May’s guide book catches Max’s attention he and Ash decide to check out a battle demonstration instead.  May and Brock head to the restaurant and find a huge line.  Just as they get in it the noodle chef is dragged outside by a girl named Terry.  His name is Kyle and she wants him to choose between the restaurant and his family.  He chooses his noodles, but she isn’t accepting that answer, she drags him away despite the shouts of the people in line.  May is mad, so she follows, and Brock is in love, so he follows as well.

            Team Rocket has set up a noodle cart in town, but then they realize none of them can cook noodles.  Of course, that doesn’t seem nearly so important when they see Ash and Max walk by.  Stealing Pikachu is always their top priority.

            Ash and Max reach the dojo, but it looks abandoned.  Suddenly an old man jumps out at them.  Max and Ash introduce themselves to the eccentric old guy who owns the dojo.  His name is Master Ham and he seems to have decided that Ash wants to join his dojo.  He pushes Ash into the dojo despite his protests.  Ham starts them by cleaning the dojo floor.  As they start Terry comes in dragging Kyle.  Brock and May are close behind.  Terry recognizes May from the contest, but what she is most interested in Ash and Max because she thinks they are new students.  That is quickly straightened out.  Terry explains that Ham wants Kyle, his son, to take over the dojo so he can pursue his own dreams, but Kyle won’t.  She says the dojo used to have hundreds of students but they’ve left because of the argument.  She is the only student left and she is afraid Ham will close the dojo.  No one can seem to find a solution to the problem.  Well, except Brock who wants to marry Terry and run the dojo… but no one listens to him.  Master Ham finally suggests a battle to decide what Kyle will do and Kyle agrees.  No one else likes the idea, but they make Terry officiate anyway. 

            The battle is Kyle’s hitmonchan versus Ham’s hitmonchan.  The two men are very umm… active battlers…  when Ham’s back gives out he has to back out, but Ash offers to battle for him.  Kyle refuses to battle a replacement so May offers to battle for him.  Kyle and Ham loan their pokemon to May and Ash and the battle goes on hold so the new teams can practice.  Ash has never used fighting pokemon before (except those few times with primeape) but he does very well.  Ham now sounds like he wants Ash to take over the dojo.  May is training too, but Kyle has to tell her what to do all the time.  Terry wants Kyle to give up and just run the dojo – with her!  It seems the two might have a romance blossoming… poor Brock ^_^ 

            Meanwhile Jesse and James keep getting caught in attacks while trying to steal pokemon, and I think Meowth is still at the empty “noodle” cart…

            The battle resumes with Kyle and Ham shouting for their substitutes.  At first they seem evenly matched, but then Ash lands a solid blow.  Then May lands one… it goes back and forth a while – seems a craving for noodles has given May an extra boost.  It comes down to each pokemon’s most powerful attack.  Unfortunately it is interrupted by Team Rocket (Meowth included) who want the hitmons.  As they attempt their get away Terry releases her hitmontop and frees the pokemon, destroying the machine.  Pikachu then sends them flying.

            The battle won’t be finished so Kyle won’t have to stay at the dojo, but Terry wants an explanation for why noodles are so important to him.  It’s really sappy, but Kyle wants to make noodles as good as some that his dad made him when he was a kid.  He wants to keep cooking noodles until he makes them just like his dad.  Ham says Kyle can do that, he only wants him to be happy.  They decide Terry can run the dojo.  And then Ham reveals his dream – to travel the world with a noodle cart…  now that was cheesy even for Pokemon…

            Before he goes Kyle gets him to agree to make them some noodles.  The noodles are a unanimous success and our heroes finally leave Saffron city.

            Notes: Since when did Ash stop caring about food?  All of the sudden May is the only one who cares about food…

                        Team Rocket can’t cook noodles!!!  -_-  Now that’s just sad…

                        Jesse’s hair is long again?  Hallelujah!!!

                        Why do they always make students clean dojo floors in anime?  Did they really do that?

                        Pikachu is cleaning the floors too ^_^

                        Why is Brock with May and Max with Ash?

                        Shouldn’t May already know what to do with fighting pokemon – she has a combustkin.

                        May should not be anywhere near as good as Ash…

                        May is psychotic about her food…

                        Team Rocket has a noodle bowl robot…

                        It’s weird how they do the moves they want their pokemon to make…